Manchester United dismiss reports Jose Mourinho will be sacked this weekend

It has been a disappointing start to the season for United - their worst in 29 years - now sitting in 10th place on the table after a 3-1 defeat by 15th place West Ham last Saturday.

"All of my life, I have followed certain golden rules", he wrote in his programme notes for Tuesday's goalless draw with Valencia.

"With all the respect and I hope they don't interpret me in a negative way, if we are playing in a league like the Swiss league and we don't win that league, anything else apart from winning that league would be an terrible season".

Mourinho is a without a win in four matches heading into Saturday's visit of Newcastle, something which has never happened before in his managerial career.

Hoddle thinks Mourinho has created an unsalvageable situation at United. At this point, it's hardly a risk to ask Zidane or Conte or any other successor to steady the Old Trafford ship, but with Mourinho in charge, this ship is cruising towards a choppy conclusion that is unlikely to end well.

Fellaini, Paul Pogba and Nemanja Matic started in midfield against West Ham, but there is every chance Fred could come back into the line-up.

The former England full-back added: "Eventually I've got to stand up and say, "look, I'm not good enough to do this". Should Dummet return, Kenedy can reprise his left-wing role after playing the last game in defence. But through his dribbling ability, Kenedy does offer a quality that is unique among this Newcastle team.

"It has to be coming from the top". Mourinho's men have lost three of their opening seven fixtures in the competition.

A host of big names have been linked with the United job as and when Mourinho is dismissed, including Zinedine Zidane and Antonio Conte, and it's possible that the pair would bring out the best in the players at their disposal. If the sequence is not broken this afternoon it will be the first time since the 1989-90 season there have been five home matches without victory.

"The last season was phenomenal exactly because of these two factors - our potential and the potential of our opponents". Not since 1999 have Manchester United gone five games without a win, and we predict they will avoid equalling another unwanted record this weekend.